Purchasing a new mattress is a big decision. All mattresses are not created equal, and the mattress which you choose could have a huge impact on your future sleep quality, comfort, and health. Many chronic pain and insomnia sufferers have been all but cured simply by choosing the right mattress, and many patients have developed difficult conditions simply because they slept on the wrong mattress for far too many years.

You know you’re in that second category if you wake up every morning feeling stiff and sore. You can also guess that it’s time to replace your mattress if your mattress has more than ten years on it, or if it’s sagging in the middle.

So how do you choose the right mattress?

Know Your Mattress Types

Choosing the right mattress begins with knowing your mattress types.

Once upon a time, innerspring mattresses were your only choice. In an innerspring mattress, a series of steel coils are covered by upholstering fabric. In the past, this was an innovative method for creating a mattress that would conform to your body type. However, the spring method is not perfect. Springs can get noisy. They can also create back and neck pain issues, especially if the mattress doesn’t have enough coils to support the body.

Memory foam mattresses have received a lot of press. Memory foam is made out of viscoelastic, a substance which responds to heat and pressure. Memory foam molds itself to your body shape while you’re sleeping on it, then reverts back to its original shape when you leave the bed. Memory foam offers customized, personalized support that can bring a lot of relief if you suffer from back and neck pain. A layer of gel memory foam is sometimes added to the top of a memory foam mattress; these mattresses offer additional cooling action. This is important, as heat retention is the biggest issue with memory foam!

Latex foam offers similar advantages to memory foam. However, latex is a little more breathable than memory foam is, which means it doesn’t retain as much heat even if no gel layer is added to the mattress. Latex is also very resilient, which means it offers a slightly better lifespan than similar mattresses.

Just about any type of mattress can come with a pillow top option. A pillow top is just what it sounds like—a large pillow layer of upholstery meant to provide additional comfort and support. Do you have to pile a mountain of pillows all over the bed in order to get comfortable? A pillow top mattress might be a good option for you.

If it’s within your budget an adjustable mattress might be a best-bet buy, especially for couples. These mattresses have a remote control which allows you to adjust the mattress to help you achieve your body’s very best sleeping position.

Everyone Has Different Sleep Needs

A mattress exists for just one purpose: it is there to help you sleep better. If a mattress doesn’t accomplish that single purpose then it just doesn’t matter how many bells, whistles, or perks there are!

There are a lot of misconceptions about which mattresses are the “best.” For example, popular wisdom says that you should always get the “firmest” mattress on the market. However, if a mattress is too firm it’s not much different than sleeping on a plank of wood! Comfort is always an issue. Of course, a mattress that is too soft won’t give you any support.

Always Test Your Mattresses

Like Goldilocks, you’re looking for the mattress that is just right. Unfortunately, you can’t rely on a manufacturer’s self-chosen description of the mattress to decide on your “just right.” One manufacturer’s “firm” is another manufacturer’s “extra firm.” There’s no standardization process to determine the true meaning of these words. Thus, they remain subjective.

That’s why we encourage you to come into our Mississauga, ON showroom to try out our mattresses. Go ahead. Lay down. Stretch out. Get comfortable. But try not to fall asleep! One of our helpful sales associates will be along soon, just to answer any additional questions that you may have about choosing the right mattress. A good night’s sleep is waiting for you, so visit us today!